Father-son bond has grown stronger through coaching for FAU's Jarvises

BOCA RATON — His office wall is a family timeline. Photographs — some in color and others too old for that — take the metaphorical place of incremental growth marks penciled onto a doorframe.

On the left side of the wall, Mike Jarvis’ 8-year-old son and his sister flank an overgrown, junior high school-aged Patrick Ewing. On the right, Bill Clinton and Jay-Z celebrate inside the St. John’s locker room after a victory over Connecticut.

The panorama shows the path of a son destined to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“If you look at this wall and see that these are some of the greatest moments,” Florida Atlantic head basketball coach Mike Jarvis said, “he’s in those pictures and he’s growing.

“And he’s growing with me.”

Ever since Jarvis II’s birth in 1969, he’s been at his father’s side. An inseparable bond was forged through years of shared experiences unique to the game of basketball, setting in motion what would become an historic father-son coaching duo.

They are in the midst of their third coaching stint together, with Jarvis II serving as FAU’s associate head coach, having reached the NCAA Tournament three times at each of their prior two stops. And as the father’s career enters its twilight at age 67, the moment is approaching where “Young Mike” takes on a team of his own.

The one photo that father and son each hang in their respective offices depicts the day Jarvis got an idea his protégé might end up in the coaching business.

The year was 1981, and Jarvis was coaching the East in the McDonald’s All-American game. He could bring anyone he wanted as an assistant coach. And of course he chose his 12-year old son.

The black and white photo shows Jarvis II, ball in hand, with his father and John Wooden on either side of him.

Three minutes into the game, and with a soft elbow to his father’s ribs, Jarvis II recommended that Adrian Branch be removed from the game for not playing strong defense.

“Mike got up at 12 years of age, went down the end of the bench and kneeled in front of Branch,” Jarvis said. “He put his finger in his face and said, ‘You know, Adrian. We came here to win this game. And if you don’t play better defense, my dad ain’t going to play you.’”

A dumbfounded Branch got the message and went on to win the Most Valuable Player award.

That planted the idea that father and son could effectively work together, and upon Jarvis II’s graduation from Boston University he was added to the staff at George Washington. The Jarvis’ became the first African American, father-son coaching duo in Division I.

Jarvis II served as the third assistant, or the advanced scout, watching future opponents to prepare scouting reports. His keen eye for the game — he was a point guard just like his father — allowed him to visualize matchups and pick up trends or tendencies offensively.

The information was relayed to Jarvis, whose specialty was building a defensive game plan.

“You saw the love of a father and son, you saw the passion of a teacher and pupil,” said Kevin Clark who coached with both Jarvis’ at GWU and St. John’s. “And you saw the ingenuity of a young kid giving some of the thought process of young kids today back to the old coach.”

Together they embraced the highs and lows of college basketball.

They took a George Washington team with players from nine different countries to the NCAA Tournament, roared into the Elite Eight in their first season at St. John’s and captured the Big East regular season title in 1999-2000.

“There was nothing better,” Jarvis II said. “It was fairytale stuff.”

Then came the lows. Jarvis was fired from St. John’s in December of 2003 amidst allegations that one of his players assaulted a female student and another was banned from the team following a second drug-related arrest.

He spent “a lot of time and a lot of money” trying to clear his name, promising himself that he would do so before even entertaining the idea of coaching again. But the cloud hanging over his otherwise-spotless resume discouraged schools from giving him a chance.

Jarvis II took a job at Duke, serving as the director of player development for legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski from 2004-2006.

But in 2008, Jarvis was urged to return to coaching by his wife and members of his bible study group at Spanish River Church. An opportunity at Florida Atlantic, in his hometown of Boca Raton, was seemingly too good to be true.

In three years, Jarvis brought the team from six wins in 2008-09 to 21 wins two seasons later. Of course “Young Mike,” who is now 43, was by his side from the first day at FAU.

“Just thank God for the opportunity to do what I’ve been able to do with my son,” Jarvis said. “If I die tonight, I’ve had the most incredible life, and there will be no regrets.”

Jarvis acknowledged that this could be his last job, though he is vibrant, energetic and looks far younger than his age — 67. He wonders what it will be like to no longer be the head coach, maybe even serving as an assistant if his son “has a spot for an old man,” when he eventually takes the reins of his own program.

That day will be the happiest day of his coaching career, Jarvis said, seeing his son make it in the family business. But it will also be one of the saddest, as it will likely take Jarvis II away from the Boca Raton area.

Inevitably, though, that day will provide another picture to be added to the wall. It’s the one that will finally complete the timeline.